Matt Andersen dishes up some home-cooked soul with a side of joy

Fans feasted on a musical smorgasbord of gospel, blues, country, soul and rock as part of Matt Andersen’s Big Bottle of Joy Tour, with special guests Hello Darlins, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on April 16.

Matt Andersen is an award-winning soulman who has headlined major festivals, clubs and theatres throughout North America, Europe and Australia. The first thing that strikes you about Andersen is his complete lack of pretension. While first assembling on stage with the eight members of his band, Andersen looks nonchalantly over his shoulder as if noticing the crowd for the first time and quips: “Oh hey there, bet you thought you snuck up on me.” That flavour of down-to-earth friendliness and quick wit would show up throughout the evening, lending an unguarded sincerity usually reserved for close friends to the jokes and stories Andersen would share between songs.

The next thing that you need to appreciate is that the New Brunswick native comes from a place where bread is baked fresh everyday, the porch door is always open, and community is the heart of good living. Andersen’s Maritime roots emerge time and time again as themes woven through his lyrics: Honour your family (“What Would Your Mama Say?”); Find peace with what you’ve got (“Shoes”); Treat each other right (“Let it Slide”); and Don’t be a dickhead (“Time for the Wicked to Rest”).

While Andersen’s charm drew fans to the table, it was his vocal prowess and virtuosic guitar fretwork that was the icing on the cake. The extensive setlist included catchy new songs from his 2023 album, “Big Bottle of Joy,” as well as popular hits from his varied discography. Nearly impossible to choose just one wow! moment from the entertainment menu, Andersen’s melodic mastery of “Let’s Get Back,” was a definite highlight.

The crowd was treated to another spectacular experience midway through the show. As the band quietly exited the stage, all eyes were on Andersen, who had settled comfortably on a straight back chair with his acoustic guitar. During this intimate mini-set, it was easy to imagine stretching out on a sofa in someone’s living room, while being serenaded with “Coal Mining Blues” and a heartfelt tribute to motherly wisdom in “Shoes.” More true than not, you can take the boy out of the Maritimes, but you can’t take the Maritimes out of the boy.

Andersen continued spoon feeding joy to the audience with a jaw-dropping rendition of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” which was dedicated to his friend and former CBC radio host of the Vinyl Cafe, Stuart McLean. According to Andersen, McLean loved hearing him sing that song, and if you were there, you would know why. The only way to describe the blues guitarist’s range on this cover is that it was as deep and wide as the Saint John River that runs alongside the village of Bairdsville, where a teenaged Andersen first started performing music at school and local pubs, and then with New Brunswick band Flat Top in 2002.

Andersen attributes part of his success to surrounding himself with good people and talented artists. That’s certainly true of the incredible sister trio of Reeny, Haliey and Micah Smith, whose dance grooves and sweet soul-infused sounds sprinkled sugar on every track. Their performance of The Impressions cover, “People Get Ready,” during which each of them took turns commanding the microphone, and “Aurora” were definite highlights of the evening. Characteristically humble, Andersen would often yield the spotlight to members of his band, allowing each their turn to shine. At other times, he would move in close to various Big Bottle of Joy musicians in a way that evidenced the friendships among them..

Andersen shared that one of the perks of headlining a tour is the freedom to choose the opening act. And choose right, he did with Hello Darlins, a quartet of extraordinary session musicians who recently combined their powerful soul-soothing musical storytelling talents. Candace Lacina, a Romani-Canadian artist, angel-like in a white floor length dress with lace trim, may have held the main microphone but she made it clear that the heartbeat of the collective was the unique blend of the most versatile country, gospel and blues musicians on the planet, including husband Mike Little on keys.

Not unlike Andersen’s inspired repertoire, Hello Darlins’ set opener featured many songs that speak to friendship, family and home being where the heart is, including “Highway 355,” a tribute to Saskatoon where Lacina grew up. Not a coincidence, perhaps, “Still Waters,” a song about hope, reflection and perseverance from the band’s debut 2021 album, “Go By Feel,” features none other than Matt Andersen.

It was a real treat when Andersen invited Lacina and Little back on stage during the main set to perform the collaboration track live. Looking back, perhaps one of the truly memorable moments in a joy-filled night occurred during the closing song, “With a Little Help From my Friends,” (The Beatles cover), performed with all 13 touring musicians.

 Find music, merch and more to satisfy future cravings on the bands’ webpages: www.thehellodarlins.com and www.stubbyfingers.ca for Matt Andersen.